I recently just finished a narative painting for art class, i want to know if i did it right so tell me what you think of right away when you look at it, and then tell me how you think it looks. Dunka.
I like what you did with the figure in the bottom right corner.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
He looks glowy. Is he actually glowy or was that to make him stand out from the background?
Anyway, what I see is a glowy kid standing on a hill looking at the moon.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
It looks windy out. That guy staring at the full moon might just be a werewolf.
I do like all the rings around the moon, and the way you painted the leaves on the tree gives the impression of wind. But the grass looks like it is blowing in the opposite direction of the leaves.
The man is definitely affected by the moon. He could be a werewolf. But the way he is painted, he seems more glued on to the scene than a part of it.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
Very nice.
Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :
It reminds me of "The Little Prince." I likes. The use of color is really pleasing to me eyes.
Posted by sarcare (Member # 8736) on :
It makes me want to paint again.
I liked it a lot.
Posted by MandyM (Member # 8375) on :
I liked the glow of the moon. What medium are you using? I know you said it was painting class but it almost looks like chalk or pastels in some parts which is a very cool effect.
I get a very wistful, lonely feeling like the guy is looking at the moon longing for someone.
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
You know, whenever I see thread titles like this one, I think "Why do people do this to themselves? They are just asking for hurt feelings." I have to say, though, I really liked your painting. It reminds me of a The Little Prince bookcover I saw once.
Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
Liberating. I love seeing work like this, because I am too uptight to acheive that sort of thing myself. The work glows and has unity. I like it.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Looks like Starry Night mixed with the Polar Express.
I like it.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Normally I don't comment on artwork -- ie ya either like it or ya don't; there really ain't nothin' to say about personal tastes -- but I hafta admit that I am truly impressed by your work. Of course I'm seeing it at relatively small scale on a video screen... ...but I get the feeling that if it were large scale, there is enough texture there that it's hangable. ie One could put it up on a wall, and it would never get old to look at / it would remain fresh. ie One would always receive new impressions upon relooks at different sections and new interpretations about the overall meaning/feeling.
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
I love the rings around the moon, very cool.
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
The way he's standing made me think of first Watson and then my math teacher. It's that leaning-back-to-support-a-large-belly look.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
I love it. The feeling of a cold and clear night and the heavens popping out at you, overwhelming your senses.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
Because of the glow around the figure, my first thought was either an alien abduction/first contact type thing or a magical aura kind of thing. That made me interpret the "moon" as maybe not a moon, but some other bright light source or portal opening. Regardless, I like the mood and colors. It is an interesting painting.
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
I like it and the mood it creates. I could see hanging that one in my house.
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
I really like it. It has a feeling of loneliness, but also of comfort.
Posted by Vamp96 (Member # 9030) on :
I like the moon. It makes me think of Van Gogh.
Posted by TheDisgruntledPostman (Member # 7200) on :
thanks for all the great feed back, i think thats enough optimism to last me for a while. Mandy i used a acrylic oil based paint if you were wondering. The thing that gets me the most is that i made that, cause i ususaly dont paint/draw things like that. Anybody else have any work that they've done, im interested to see other work.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I liked the feeling of movement contrasted with utter stillness. There is a very crisp feel to the air.
Lovely work.
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
Like your painting. Like the mood, love the sky. A suggestion from an old art teacher: Rather than using white to lighten the greens in your tree foliage, use yellow. White tends to dull the life in the colour, while using yellow keeps the sparkle. You can still keep the green cool by using a cool yellow, with a very small amount of white.
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
Let me first say that you are a much better painter than I am, so take the following criticisms with that chocolate coating.
I'm not sure what you were intending, but the glow around the figure REALLY flattens him/her (I'm gonna call him a him for now) out. Especially since his feet are floating above the grass, as opposed to them being partially covered. On the other hand, it does serve the purpose of almost immediately drawing the eye to the figure, which is what I think you were intending. You could've also done some lightening on the front of the figure to serve that effect (though not so strongly) while still maintaining three-dimensionality.
I think you did an admirable job showing movement in the grass and leaves.
The more I look at the tree, the less I like it. It looks like a symbol for a tree, something that everyone will recognize as a tree, but that's not really how a tree looks. Also, I don't think the colors on the trunk are right for a nighttime scene. They're too warm.
Whether or not you intended it, because you have brush strokes (nice, big, broad strokes) going so many different directions, it adds a bit of tension to a very contemplative scene. It does clearly strengthen the impression of wind though, which I think is what you were doing?
The uneveness of the outer rings around the moon is a little disconcerting (left side of image vs. upper righthand corner).
I love what you did with the inner rings, and the moon itself.
Keep it up! I'd love to see any other paintings/drawings you have. You've got some serious talent going on.
Posted by TheDisgruntledPostman (Member # 7200) on :
i like your thoughts on it jux, my art teacher said the same thing about the tree, i guess it is more of a symbol for a tree, cause it really only has a tree look to it. Your art vocabulary is much more than of a regular person, are you yourself an artist?
Posted by Hamson (Member # 7808) on :
I definitely like it a lot. And I agree with what solo said about it having a sense of loneliness, but also of comfort. For me, I think that's because when I look at it, the guy is the only one outside there, but I know that space is full of everything, plenty enough to remove the isolated feeling that it would've had to it.
I'm no art master by any means, but the oval of different background color and glowing effect around the guy does seem to give him a lack of depth as Jux also said. But I do very much like the seperated rings around the moon. If they were all swirled together, I think it would too well convey the feeling of vastness and cancel out the unique vibes I get from viewing this.
Nice painting.
Posted by Nell Gwyn (Member # 8291) on :
I like it too. I'm getting the Little Prince/Polar Express vibe on it as well, along with a sense of wonder at the enormity of the world.
I'm not an artist, but I agree with a lot of what Juxtapose says. I like the glowy effect around the guy, but I think I'd like it more if it were toned down a bit and if the front of the guy had some light shining on him from the moon, the way you did on the tree trunk. I can also see the brush stroke where you painted the sky around the edge of the guy pretty clearly - I think that adds a lot to the flattening/making him glued onto the scene effect.
I really like the sense of movement and the way you did the moon. The contradicting directions don't really bother me - it just looks like the wind is whipping around and changing directions a lot. But again, the dark stripe around the guy makes it look like the wind isn't touching him, so it disrupts the illusion a bit.
And this is really nitpicky, but the way the base of the tree is going lower at the bottom right corner makes me think that the slope of the hill starts to drop right after the canvas ends - if I stop to think about it, I could get distracted by wondering how a tree that size could grow by itself on a slope that steep. But I didn't even notice it until I started looking for things to pick at.
Overall though, I like it a lot. If I were you, I'd definitely frame it and hang it up so you can see your progression with later pieces, because I'm sure you'll only improve if you keep working at it.
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
quote:i like your thoughts on it jux, my art teacher said the same thing about the tree, i guess it is more of a symbol for a tree, cause it really only has a tree look to it. Your art vocabulary is much more than of a regular person, are you yourself an artist?
Would a non-artist have a pretentious art word as their screen name? Yeah, you caught me. I'm finishing up a BA in Interdisciplinary Art at UW.
Is your art class in high school, college, or some kind of community program?
Posted by TheDisgruntledPostman (Member # 7200) on :
high school art. Haha, i thought there was something amiss when i was hearing similiar tips that came from my teacher, how is that feild treating you?
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
I feel like that guy is waiting for someone. Maybe a girl?
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
Postman, The only thing about the art program that I don't really like is the art history you have to take. I'm not good at memorization and that's all it really is. It's interesting to see so many different types of art, but the sheer quantity they throw at me makes it really dry.
I bring up the negative first because that's all I've been doing this past quarter (I saved the bad part for last ). The great part about my major was that I got to try out so many different fields, as the name implies. I've stuck to mostly drawing and sculpting classes, but I've also taken painting, wood, casting, and metals. It's great for trying out things you've never had the opportunity to try before. And then if you find something you really love you can always transfer.
I don't know how much your art teacher has told you about the marketing side of the art world, but if you're at all interested in becoming a professional artist, then keep track of your work. Keep a file on all the works you've created. If you give one away, or sell one, add the person's name and the price paid (if any). It's a great way to start building a resume as an artist.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
I find the painting disturbing. (That's a compliment.) The moon and tree and starscape are beautiful; but that lone figure in the bottom makes the sky seem not just beautiful but terrible, because he's so small and weak and plain compared to them.
Great stuff.
Posted by human_2.0 (Member # 6006) on :
I like it. The tree is nice.
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
quote:I find the painting disturbing. (That's a compliment.)
Haha, that reminds me of a short story. Once I was doodling an old man in his underwear in a lecture to keep from falling asleep. Some girl sitting next to me looked over and said, "that's really gross."
"Thanks," I said.
"I didn't mean it as a compliment," she replied.
Somehow, that just made it all the sweeter.
EDIT - I forgot to add, and I don't mean this in a condescending way at all, but that's damn good for a high school student. I'd say it's on par with beginning painting classes in college (which are designed technically for first-timers, but are generally populated by people who've been painting for years).
Posted by Nato (Member # 1448) on :
I like the moon's cloud-rings a lot, but it feels like the perspective is a little off, as if the "eye" is supposed to be that of a third person observer, when the mood of the painting so much more suggests a relationship between the guy by the tree and the moon. The painting seems to long for some more subjectivity, especially because the moon is so big.
That said, I think I felt a lot like this right before the most recent full moon, only the trees looked more sinister to me.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I'm getting the Little Prince/Polar Express vibe on it as well, along with a sense of wonder at the enormity of the world.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Yeah, you caught me. I'm finishing up a BA in Interdisciplinary Art at UW.![[Frown]](frown.gif)
). The great part about my major was that I got to try out so many different fields, as the name implies. I've stuck to mostly drawing and sculpting classes, but I've also taken painting, wood, casting, and metals. It's great for trying out things you've never had the opportunity to try before. And then if you find something you really love you can always transfer.